Tag / Poetry Forms

by Frank Maduri

Poetry By Frank J. Maduri

These poems have all been either published previously on different platforms or they have been entered into poetry contests or challenges. I thank you for your interest in my work and I hope you enjoy!

 

“Dawn Arrives”

 

Lying awake, unable to sleep

Later today I’m really going to be shot

My racing mind cannot keep –

Focused on one single thought.

I think about dawn, the day ahead

My mind tells me I can do it all, instead –

I know that I’ll have to alter my plan

And accomplish whatever I can.

The house is still, quiet surrounds me

Some days I just run through the motions;

Other days I have very lofty notions.

On these mornings I can clearly see

Dawn arrives, with all new possibilities

Which I’ll do my best to seize.

 

 

 

“Ukraine”

 

Praying for peace in our society

Losing hope that will ever come to be

The world’s attention now on Ukraine

The protests there were insane

The brutality of the police was horrifying

Images of innocent people bloody, crying

Standing up for what they feel is right

The government punished them with might

Until the people were triumphant

Into hiding their President was sent

A new government was appointed

A country now so disjointed

Airports in Crimea controlled by Russians

This is where international tension begins

The Russians have 150,000 troops at the border

In Ukraine, there is rampant disorder

Some want the old government restored

In other regions, the old regime is abhorred

President Obama warned Russia not to use force

If they do, it will send us on a perilous course

I don’t know how this all will end

But I pray peace to them God will send

 

 

“In The Ether”

 

Days like these, painful days

Where ideas don’t normally flow

When the pain comes and stays

When I just want it to go

The creative process is stagnant

I am uncomfortable in every position

My mind feels small, ideas scant

I could complain, who would listen?

The creative process has a need

To go off into the ether to work

Once I find that initial idea: the seed

But it’s all very hard when the pain will lurk

How will I combat this, rise above

So I can feel somehow fulfilled

So I can write about life and love

About faith, nature, and tears spilled

I go off, in the ether, that place

And everything is so slow or stuck

It’s hard to create in cramped space

I need some faith and some luck

To make all of this right

To move out of the dark, into the light

 

 

“Searching for Reasons”

 

What am I doing here?

I don’t know where I’m going

Why is the path so unclear?

 

These changes come without knowing

A future that is undetermined

Each day I’m still growing

 

I continue to take each bend

Willing to see where it’ll lead

Ready for what life will send

 

Faith, hope, and love are all that I need

As I move on, searching for reasons

For some clarity here I’ll plead

 

Moving forward, taking it day by day

Confident I will find the right way

 

 

“February Storm”

 

I awoke to sleet pounding the window;

I watched as it gradually turned to snow.

Then I watched it pile up and blow –

Around the yard and into the street.

The morning storm was there to greet –

All my neighbors who stayed at home;

Working from computers, not far to roam.

The snow is coming down at a fast clip;

It will freeze tonight, temps will dip.

A typical snowy, winter February storm;

I’m so grateful for a home that’s warm.

 

I think of those with no roof over their head

No food, no heat, no decent bed

The huge gap in income disparity –

Is something I dislike about society.

Somehow it doesn’t seem fair

That some people spend money without a care

While others live in complete despair

Spending money on fancy haircuts, fake tans

While others eat out of garbage cans

I hope those people find shelter today

And that our society finds a better way

A typical snowy, winter February storm

I’m so grateful for a home that’s warm.

 

“Repeatedly”

 

Why does it seem so frequently

The important discussions in life

We have to have repeatedly

What is it within our makeup

That makes this fact so universal

What component within the human condition –

Disconnects when it comes to issues –

Which are rather significant in scope

Those matters are discussed repeatedly

While others are mentioned once.

Why can’t that information be retained?

Maybe most of us can’t separate ourselves

To have the right perspective needed,

Or maybe we feel differently-

About the message, we disagree.

We think we are capable;

And fail to comprehend our own failings.

Even when the evidence is clear,

And staring us right in the face.

Even when others tell us repeatedly;

We continue forward with disregard.

And those decisions have consequences

That are then dealt with repeatedly.

 

 

“Long Live The Night”

 

Everything really slows down

In this quiet small town

The crickets and bugs roam the ground

Some nights you can’t hear a sound

The days are sunny and bright

Long live the night

Where peace of mind comes easy

Hit the diner for a burger really greasy

Drive the desolate state highway

Be thankful for another day

Watch the wind in the trees under the street light

Long live the night

Watching the TV all alone

Talking to your girlfriend on the phone

Meeting friends at the ballgame

Enjoy them all the same

Reading a letter in very low light

Long live the night

If you drink to hide the pain

An escape from a world gone insane

You try to hide the fear, the scar

You want to run away far

Go away far from sight

Long live the night

Coming back to the ones you love

Praying to God far above

Reaching out to those in need

Trying to do a good deed

Visit someone who’s dying

Kicking a bad habit, or trying

Losing your husband or wife

Picking up the pieces of your life

Lying in bed trying to pray

Feeling like you have nothing to say

Resting your body, tired of the fight

Long live the night

 

 

 

“Daylight Savings”

 

The two words I dread

Happen each year: “Spring ahead”

Daylight savings, and I lose

An hour in bed to snooze

The first week goes fast

Trying to make days last

But they only fly

And it’s Friday, I sigh

Daylight savings is so dumb

I’m stressed, need some rum

Fighting with the clock on the dash

Wishing for extra time to stash

It reads 1 PM instead of Two –

Daylight savings time leaves me blue

I try to go early to sleep

Time just seems to leap

And I’m still awake

Daylight savings, and I need a break

It’ll be back again next Spring

I’ll say the same thing

I know we do it in the Fall

But the extra hour doesn’t bother me at all!

 

“Laid Bare”

 

Scared at the future unknown

Searching in the dark for light

My true feelings now shown

Trying to make what’s wrong, now right.

In a ball on the floor crying

Laid bare for only God to see

To be a better person, trying

As the world moves on around me

The quiet here is a curse and a blessing.

Laid bare on the floor with tissues

The loneliness can be so distressing;

Next task is to work on these issues.

To face them like I know I can

To face them with bravery

To come up with a master plan

Laid bare all the things unsavory

All the stuff others find strange

To pick it up, mend, and fix

To move, clean up, to change

To get back into the mix;

The mix of living like before

Before the darkness came to destroy

To stop looking at it all as a chore

Laid bare, healing, seeking joy.

 

 

“Sand”

 

Sand is here all around me

Sand as far as I can see

Sand sticks to my toes

I wonder where it goes

Some gets washed into the ocean

Gone until who knows when

Some gets blown away in the wind

So much sand, it is hard to comprehend

Sand from crushed rock

Sand on the side of my block

Sand running through an hour glass

Marking days, weeks that pass

Sand piled off to the side

About to be moved to a truck so wide

To be brought to other jobs to the south

I watch as sand blows in my mouth!

Sand, its origin can be pondered

It was in the desert where Jesus wandered

It was on the island coast

When Columbus made his New World boast

Sand was here in the beginning

Through the struggles, wars, and sinning

Sand will be here in the end

When Jesus will once again descend

 

 

 

 

“When We Were That Young”

 

I watch them at the table next to me;

They’re a young couple: 18, 19 no more than that.

I look over at them and all I can see;

Is a table where we once sat

Back when we were that young.

They’re holding hands, in love, so sweet;

Before the pains of life have stung.

Reminds me of the summer nights we’d meet

After we got off from work – we’d drive

We’d walk, talk, kiss under the moonlight

I never felt more carefree and alive

But even now our love’s strong, we don’t fight –

Like other couples we’ve seen or know.

I think of the past, think of things today;

The challenges that this couple has for their love to grow.

We had challenges in a different way;

Back when we were that young.

Thoughts of our college days back in ‘97

Before our incredible marriage had begun

Before our world was changed by 9/11

This young couple has grown in a different age.

We had a time that had some innocence, grace.

They have seen terror, war, constant rage

He touches her, like I still touch your face;

It makes me think back to when we were that young.

When we were that naïve about society;

When about our later years we would dream.

I look at them, and all I see is you and me

It’s a long time ago – though not as long as it may seem.

I love you even more now than when we were that young.

 

 

“Trust”

 

Days go by quickly and I do my best –

To separate myself from the rest.

But I feel I need a new directive;

To make my work hours count, more selective –

With the projects which I choose.

I fear that I have no time to lose.

In the Lord I have put my trust;

In order to stay sane I must –

Trust that He guides my life.

Through all the tumult, chaos, and strife.

He guides my ideas and my mind;

So the path to His goals I’ll find.

Trust to ignore what’s important to society.

Trust that God’s voice is guiding me –

Toward all that is a part of the plan

To make me a better person, a better man

I look to tomorrow and the next day –

As the Lord continues to guide my way.

 

 

 

 

 

“Listening to Springsteen”

 

“Born in the U.S.A.” was the first album I got

“Tunnel of Love” was a great one also

Listening to Springsteen in a parking lot;

In my college dorm – anywhere I go.

The music is part of me, a soundtrack –

Of my life from back when I was a boy.

Those days you wish you could go back;

Days of confusion, hope, pain, and joy.

Listening to Springsteen wherever I was;

Sitting in my room just reading

Or at a college party getting a buzz.

Sometimes quietly, others, the chorus I was leading

Or listening in the afternoon on a Sunday while cleaning.

Alone in the car, or driving with a date.

Listening to Springsteen all along;

With my sister at a concert on my 30th birthday.

Home just chilling with my beautiful wife.

It is a part of all I do, my song.

A part of me in a special way

Listening to Springsteen throughout my life.

 

 

“The Paper”

 

The paper glows so pure and white

It’s a shame, I think sometimes

For me to use my strength and might

To fill it up with all of these rhymes

The paper is empty and free

Until I scratch on it with my pen

The blank paper filled with opportunity

Until I get done writing and then –

Its purpose and destination is set

The paper now bears marks and scars

That others may or may not get

Some paper sits empty, unused bars

Of unlimited potential in a store

Or pages in the back of an old notebook

They’ll never know what purpose they’re for

They’ll never be given a second look

The pages of inspiration they could provide

The many ideas they could’ve brought

In a home of an inventor they could reside

The countless hours of boredom they could’ve fought

The page, when full, could provide peace

To those who have had none

Could bring to the downtrodden, a new lease

So they choose to see a new day’s Sun

Could inspire others to love, overcome, or heal

The paper, when full, has so much to reveal

 

 

“In Park”

 

The lot is pretty crowded today

But I’m able to find peace anyway

In my car, parked in a tight space

I’m pushing my thoughts to a place

Far away from here, this spot –

In a large shopping center parking lot

I think of those I love, wonder where they are

As the sunlight glistens into my car

I hope that they’re well, that they’re okay

And that they get time like this today

A few minutes to rest and evaluate

After tackling all the stuff on my plate

I think of those struggling mightily

With life and all of its uncertainty

I hope that solutions they will find

As they toil through this daily grind

I think of those with various illness

I pray God helps to alleviate their stress

I think of those living out in the cold street

I pray that kind people they will meet

So they can have a place to live

And focus on the love that they can give –

Back to others in that same position

Here, in park, I hope God will listen

 

I think of all the support in my life

From my family, friends, and loving wife

I watch as condensation clouds the windshield

I wonder when my pain will finally yield

I can resume life like it was before

And let my pursuit of dreams really soar

Other days I just push myself – no limit

Because my dream is there for me to get it

I think of others with physical disability

That must know the pain of limited capability

In a society that ignores their every need

Because of its pursuit of greed

I pray that they get the help they deserve

So with their talents, they can serve

Help others develop a sense of belonging

Instead of a culture of blame and wronging

I hope that those with wealth

Will come to help others, not just themself

Here, in park, I pray behind the wheel

That kid in a gang will no longer steal

That teenage girl will keep her baby

I know bad things happen, but maybe –

My prayers will matter – it may seem odd

But here, in park, these moments, I feel closer to God.

 

 

(Frank J. Maduri is a freelance writer with publishing credits for a variety of web sites. He has written hundreds of poems as well as a novella. His chapbook length collection of poetry will be published in the Spring of 2015. He has served as a judge of a national poetry contest held by a well-respected literary journal. He is currently working on writing lyrics for a collection of songs for submission to music publishers.)

 

Copyright – 2015 – Frank J. Maduri –All rights reserved. No copying, retransmission, or reuse of this material is allowed without the express written consent of the author.

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Poetry Forms: The Terza Rima Sonnet

I have been writing poetry for many years now, and of the hundreds of poems that I have written in that time, many of them are sonnets. I prefer the sonnet form of poetry to many of the other various forms, though I continue to challenge myself to write in new poetic forms on a continuous basis.

 

The sonnet form has so many different variations, as I have written about previously both on this site, Frank’s Forum, and on another website where I did some guest blogging on the topic. I have written previously for Yahoo! a series of “how to” articles for young and new writers about the differences between the sonnet forms with tips for practicing and navigating some of the nuances of those specific sonnet types such as the Italian sonnet or the Pushkin form.

 

Furthermore, I have also written in the past about hybrid sonnet forms which I created by mixing and matching components from all of the variations of the sonnet; or thinking of completely “out of the box” ways to write a sonnet with the basic fundamental variant of how to play with the fourteen lines needed to characterize the form.

 

This will be my first blog post of 2015 on the topic of poetry, which is a major sub-theme of Frank’s Forum, so I chose to focus on a relatively more obscure form of the sonnet known as the terza rima form. I will review this form of sonnet and then compare the structure to other variations of the sonnet complete with my advice from my own experience writing in each of these forms of poetry.

 

Origins

 

The terza rima form originated in the late 13th century and was created by famed poet Dante Alighieri who sought a way to structure his now famous canto epic length poetic work, “The Divine Comedy”. The structure of the form, similar to other variations of the sonnet, folds in the rhyme scheme from one set of lines into the subsequent sets of lines.

 

Since the terza rima is divided into sets of three lines called tercets, the rhyme scheme flows from one tercet into the next, connected by common lines in the rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme in a terza rima sonnet is as follows:

ABA BCB CDC DED

 

Therefore you can see how the tercets are connected by a common line in the verse. Most of the sonnets written in this format are in iambic pentameter, though some poets have written in a different meter such as dactyl, the use of another meter is permissible but the lines have to all remain the same length.

 

It is important also to note that the terza rima form can be of unlimited length, where some other poetic forms have very strict standards for length. The writer could continue stringing together tercets in the same format demonstrated above just resetting the scale back to “A” at the end of the four sets of poetry.

 

The Couplet Question

 

Over the years, the terza rima form has remained unchanged with the exception of some poets adapting the structure to add a couplet to the end of the four tercets. The rationale behind this adaptation is uncertain, it could have been added so that this form of sonnet would equal fourteen lines in compatibility with the other forms of the sonnet.

 

In my own personal experience, I was taught to write the terza rima in the traditional format I listed above, in four sets each containing three lines of poetry. I felt at one point around four or five years ago, when I was writing a variety of sonnets for a poetry collection with a winter nature theme, that the traditional twelve line form was leaving something behind. So I started adding a rhyming couplet to the end of the terza rima sonnets because I was accustomed to using couplets at the end of the other sonnets I have written in the past.

 

I did not realize that this change to the terza rima form had already been made until a fellow writer was reviewing my work during a poetry challenge. This fellow writer felt that the couplet was a nice touch and referenced the other poets who had initially used this format change, to which I was unaware, I just knew that it felt cleaner to me with the added two lines.

 

The terza rima form with the added couplet at the end looks like this:

ABA BCB CDC DED FF

 

The use of the couplet is completely at the discretion of the writer, and has been included for so many years, that it is a completely accepted alternative version. I also feel that it provides the author with some additional room to finish their thoughts and cap off their piece of poetry with the couplet at the end. However, there are poets and writers who do not agree with this adaptation and will stick with the traditional format originated by Alighieri.

 

Common Miscues

 

The terza rima sonnet has a different flow and a different feel to it, which can lend itself to some common miscues. Some other forms of poetry are more forgiving should your idea take an unplanned direction. This form of sonnet can seem a bit restrictive, especially in the beginning until you have practiced your style and are able to lend your poetic voice to the variations found in this format.

 

A common miscue that I made when I first began writing and experimenting with the terza rima form was “boxing myself in” as they call it in poetry. I would work with an initial idea, and being so accustomed to the other types of sonnets where you only had to rhyme the end word in a line no more than twice, I would get boxed in within the restraints of this rhyme scheme.

 

In the terza rima form it requires the writer to rhyme the “C” and the “D” lines in the scheme a total of three times. Therefore, I had to train my mind to not think in terms of couplets or schemes where the scale rhymed twice, I had to shape my idea around words that would rhyme a total of three times at two different points in the poem. This is going to be more difficult than it may seem when you try it.

 

My advice is to think about the “C” and the “D” lines ahead of time and plan out what words you will use as the end words in those respective lines. It will also help the flow and the alliteration of your finished poem.

 

I also must add that as I became further accustomed to writing in different forms of poetry and practiced more with other sonnets, this method of creating and thinking became more natural to me. The other method which helped me was writing in the Pushkin sonnet form (which remains one of my favorites) which has the following format: ABABCCDDEFFEGG

 

You will notice that the “C” and the “D” lines in the Pushkin form are also very important, granted they are in double couplets which break up the middle of the sonnet, but it still helped to train my mind for the importance that the same corresponding lines, the “C” and the “D” lines have in the terza rima form.

 

The other practice which helped my adaptation to writing within the terza rima form was to practice with the Spenserian form which has some common traits. The Spenserian sonnet has the following setup:

ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

 

In the Spenserian form the “B” and “C” lines are rhymed four times, so they are very important to determine ahead of drafting the poem. This form also featured “transfer” from one group of lines to the next so continuity is very important to writing a good Spenserian sonnet. My practice with these elements helped me to write within the terza rima form with much better effect.

 

It is my hope that all the writers out there who are new to writing poetry or new to writing sonnets have gained some valuable insights from this article. I will now close with an example of my own work in the terza rima form.

 

“Into The Light”

Wandering along on this lonely road

Weary, tired but there’s no going back

Feeling burdened from this heavy load

 

So many obstacles there to distract –

Me from the path to my ultimate goal

My focus is sharp it will not lack

 

I have seen others lose control

The pity, self-doubt, endlessly question

The answers to them are in your soul

 

The road is packed, temptation and sin

Walk into the light, avoid the darkness

Find your compass which lives within

 

The light will guide you on your way

So you can find the goodness each day

 

 

(Some background information courtesy of Poets.org)

 

© Frank J. Maduri 2015 – All rights reserved – No copying or distribution without express written consent from the author.

 

by Frank Maduri

Poetry Forms: How to Write a Ghazal

The Ghazal is an ancient form of poetry that has only recently gained acceptance in the mid-1990s in America. The form originated in Persia and spread to India and then eventually to Afghanistan as well as Turkey.

 

It is a very unique and somewhat controversial form of poetry with the English and American interpretation being very different than the original Persian format. The Ghazal is also sung in India, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan marking a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

 

Structure

 

The Ghazal consists of anywhere from 5 to 15 couplets with most averaging about 8 to 10 couplets in length. The lines in each couplet should be equal in length, also known as the meter, which could be 7 to 10 syllables in each line.

 

This ancient method of poetic expression also traditionally has both a rhyme and a refrain. The rhyme in the first line of the couplet sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The refrain would occur as the last word in the second line of each couplet. The rhyming word usually is the word before the refrain. An example to illustrate this concept is:

A knock on my door this morning

While I cleaned the floor this morning

 

My refrain and title of the poem is “This Morning” and the rhyming word is “door” which then has to be rhymed in the second line of each subsequent couplet. The refrain of “this morning” will be repeated in each line of the entire poem.

 

A mitigating rule of the structure of a Ghazal is that each couplet should have its own thought and be completely different from one another. This can be difficult to achieve especially with the involvement of the refrain. Each couplet was meant to be read or extracted as a “stand alone” poem, which can make this format very difficult for new or young writers.

 

It is important to note, that in the traditional version used in the Middle East, the last couplet, or closing couplet made a reference in some way to the poet’s name or pen name. In my case it could be something very overt:

I found my mind drew a blank at that moment

I thought: “C’mon now Frank” at that moment

 

However, it could also be a veiled reference to the name of the poet or his or her initials could be used in the final couplet.

 

In later years, after different translations of the form had taken hold, the reference to the writer’s name has been removed from the requirements of the form. It is my understanding that some writers felt that it was too restrictive to the number of poems they could write in this form.

 

The other issue with that requirement was that it could force the poet to deviate from the theme of the poem in order to mention their name in the closing couplet.

 

I have written several Ghazal formatted poems and used some reference to my name to keep it the most pure interpretation of the original Persian form.

 

Theme

 

In the original conception of the Ghazal back in Persia and India, the theme of this type of poetry was limited to love or romance with a heavy emphasis on relationships which were socially unacceptable. The focal emotion being the pain and melancholy caused by that separation.

 

In later variations of the Ghazal the thematic requirements shifted away from that specific area, and while most poems written in this format have been about love; they began to be written about basically any topic.

 

In my experience, writing a Ghazal can be difficult regardless of the theme, the key concept is to have an idea of the meter, rhyme, and refrain before you begin to draft the poem. The process then becomes essentially “back filling” the rest of the poem based off the primary words involved in the rhyme and the refrain. The challenge is to fit the added words in within the correct meter.

 

Alterations from the Original

 

The Ghazal form of poetry has been altered more than many other forms of poetry I have come across from the original version to the modern version. These alterations were driven by a few factors, primarily the translation from Persian or the ancient Indian or Pakistani forms to English. In essence, some elements were lost in translation, created ambiguity, or were reformed to suit a Western audience.

 

One major alteration over time was the waiver of the requirement of having a refrain. The refrain, particularly in the Western translations, became an optional component of the Ghazal. The neglect of the refrain could create conditions where the poet would have more flexibility in writing within this rather complex form.

 

An additional alteration was with regard to the couplets involved being related to one common theme. The original versions were about love, but the couplets were unique components. This shifted to Ghazal poems being linked to a central theme. Some feel that this is not a “true Ghazal”, and that the couplets need to have a feel of inherent exclusivity.

 

Moreover, the most common criticism of the purists of the Ghazal form pertaining to the American interpretation of the form is that the American poets disregard the meter. A “true Ghazal” should have the same syllabic meter in each line of the piece, whether it is 8 syllables or 10 syllables, and that Americans just choose to ignore it and write whatever suits their cause.

 

The neglect of the meter requirement causes the Ghazal to lose the flowing romanticism that was intended by the original creators of this ancient poetic format.

 

Common Mistakes

 

In my experience, writing within the Ghazal form can be very difficult but very rewarding when it is completed within the correct guidelines. I have sat many afternoons at my desk staring at the paper in my notebook trying to make a Ghazal work within the criteria provided by the original Persian format.

 

I have made the common mistake of selecting a rhyming word that does not work throughout the number of couplets I had planned for the full poem. That mistake can be avoided by free writing several rhyming words and use the words which have several variations for the rhyme line.

 

I have also made the common mistake of choosing a refrain word that is too limited in scope to be able to create a full Ghazal that flows correctly. It is very tough to make each couplet separate yet make sense contextually with a common refrain. My advice would be to choose a refrain that is very broad: based on a season, a time period (yesterday or tomorrow), or a love based theme.

 

The meter requirement is also present in many other poetry forms, so I find that I do not have as much trouble making the meter work with the concepts I choose to utilize. However, the problematic elements to meter which are present in the Ghazal and not in other formats are the requirements of the rhyme and the refrain. Those one or two words (depending on if you are writing a Ghazal without a refrain) can cause issues with the meter of the words you choose to “back fill” the poem with in each couplet.

 

A common feeling of some writers, myself included, is that the method of selecting the rhyme and refrain words prior to the rest of the poem can cause a situation where I have felt that I am mixing and matching words based on the meter and context. This process can take some of the raw emotion out of the poem, which is a self-defeating exercise.

 

Explore and Find

 

After working within this form for a while I would suggest that the best way to use this ancient type of poetry is to explore, practice, and find your way to the best method to write within the Ghazal.

 

I have a few recommendations though before you launch into this effort:

  1. Do not eliminate the requirements from the original version from Persia use a rhyme word, a refrain, and a strict meter.
  2. Conceptualize and free write more than you would before writing within another form to have a broad theme and rhyming words which work.
  3. Make sure the couplets that are used are completely different from one another. This can be achieved by choosing concepts that are very close to you personally. This will help you to expand upon the broad theme yet make the couplets different.

 

I hope that this article will help all the new and young poets to write within the ancient form of the Ghazal. When it is done with great respect paid to the requirements of the format, it can be a very rewarding way to express your feelings on a variety of themes and experiences.

 

(Some background information courtesy of Poets.org, Baymoon.com, Wikipedia.com)